Name one disease in which the incidence and/or outcome of the disease has been linked to stress. Describe a physiological stress response that impacts that disease

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Cardiovascular disease (hypertension is linked to stress hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine, ADH, thyroxin, aldosterone, and cortisone; hypertension is risk factor for atherosclerosis which may be exacerbated by fat mobilization associated with cortisol and growth hormone), diabetes and hyperglycemia (cortisone and growth hormone mobilize fat and conserve glucose and cortisone indirectly inhibits insulin production, as a result glucose levels become elevated), immune disorders (cortisone's immunosuppressive effects mean increased risk for infections and exacerbated symptoms when they occur, reduced response to immunizations, and/or activation of latent viruses, such as herpes; chronic stress is also associated with MS flare-ups and with autoimmune disorders such as eczema, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis), GI disorders (stress dampens the parasympathetic nervous system output from the hypothalamus hence decreasing blood flow to the GI tract along with secretion and motility; irritable bowel syndrome is strongly correlated to stress, perhaps due to autonomic imbalance, as are flare-ups of Chrohn's Disease), neural conditions (migraine headaches are thought to be triggered by a sympathetic stimulation of the cerebral vasculature causing strong vasoconstriction followed by a rapid vasodilation, chronic elevated levels of cortisone have been tied to atrophy of neurons within the brain perhaps tied to aging of the brain and its memory and learning functions), mental health problems (anxiety occurs from elevated norepinephrine and cortisone; over time it may lead to depression during which a drop in dopamine causes a decline in the feelings of pleasure).